National Parks And National Resource Parks

As a child, I unraveled nature’s beauty and existence. Each new experience brought me feelings of excitement and joy, sparkling my imagination and igniting my curiosity. It all seemed so large back then. Oceans appeared endless as they reached towards the horizon. Treetops seemed to make friends with the puffy-looking clouds as they soared to the sky. Over the years however, as I have grown older and life has become more complex, I am beginning to think less and less about the natural world around me. I glimpse sunset stuck in rush-hour traffic trying to return school after debate practices and only listen to the pitter-patter of the rain when there’s a storm outside. Forests and oceans seemed less appealing as they became intertwined with the urban development. In a way, I was becoming more and more distanced from the so-called nature. So, with an overwhelming desire for adventure and to escape the masses, my family and I drove to Big Bend National Park in Southwest Texas last summer.

National parks play an essential role in this country. Not only do they preserve land areas, but they also preserve bodies of water that need to be protected. The amount of drinkable water left in the world is dwindling at an alarming rate, and with the help of The National Parks Service, that rate can be slowed down. Protecting these lands and bodies of water also protects the habitats of animals living in these areas. One article, “A Monumental Fight”, written by Katy Steinmetz, discusses the fight that former President Obama made to increase these areas and protect the wildlife living in them, “In waters around Hawaii, Obama quadrupled the size of Papahanaumokuakea...

When Americans think of nature images of the wild west, wide open plains, and majestic landscapes spring forth. Nature is part of the American heritage; a site of beauty set aside for preservation outside the industrial cities that encompasses daily life. Because of this segregation between nature and man, it is easy to forget that everything on the planet is nature, not simply the parks set aside for preservation and egos. Throughout American history, dating as far back as the indigenous people, this connection between man and the natural world has been prevalent. By examining the the conservationist movement of the twentieth century and the impact Americans have had on the environment, there is a chance to close the chasm that now exists

All around the world we have National Parks that are protected areas by the government. John Muir was enraptured by it and Ansell Adame immortalized it, while Teddy Roosevelt created the National Park Service to protect these National Parks. These nationals parks are very important to keep for the environment, we all need to work together to keep these parks as nature as possible.

The national parks of the United States are a part of the few remaining regions in the country where nature is relatively untouched and natural beauty can be observed. For over a century, national parks been popular vacation destinations for citizens and international tourists alike. Regulation and conservation of these areas is necessary to allow for continued visitation and enjoyment. The National Parks Service of the Department of the Interior was created with The National Park Service Organic Act (“The Organic Act”) to maintain the nation’s parks and ensure preservation of the land while encouraging use by the general public. Whether or not conservation and recreational use are independent of each has been argued within the government as well as among the general public for decades. Vague language used by The Organic Act’s authors has allowed for manipulation of the phrasing of the fundamental mission statement of the National Park Service to support or oppose a variety of decisions that will environmentally impact the parks. Personal opinions and conflicting priorities lead to much ambiguity in the long-term implementation of the National Park Service Organic Act.

National parks are part of the foundation and history of the beginning of America. The NPS is an organization that fights for the national parks and is trying to preserve them. Although the national parks may seem like land with no meaning taking up space that could be used for more construction and modernization, they deserve to be a priority because of the history they hold from the beginning of our great nation and because of the recreational value they provide to the public.

In 2016, the National Park Service (NPS) celebrated 100 years of preservation and conservation of our nation’s parks, monuments, and historical sites. Currently, the federal government has proposed significant proposed budget cuts to the National Park Service. If the government makes these cuts, then Americans could lose the national parks along with the beauty, culture, and history that comes with them. This would happen because the NPS would lose most of its funding that is needed in order to keep the national parks well­preserved. Investing in the NPS should be a priority in our nation because it provides educational programs, unites all ages and races, and preserves and conserves the national parks.

Many do not realize how beneficial state parks and forests are for people and a state’s economy. Hundreds of people are employed by the state park system to maintain all of the parks and forests throughout the state. Parks and forests provide hundreds of people with the availability to exercise outdoors and stay active with their lives. They also provide wildlife habitats for many different species of animals and allow them to coexist with people in our world.

The policy 16 U.S.C§1; National Park Service was created in the Organic Act of 1916. This was a new agency whose mission was to “conserve the scenery and national and historic objects and the wildlife therein and to provide enjoyment of the same in such a manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of the future generations.”

National parks are a government institution meant to preserve the natural wonders of America’s landscapes. Established as the first national park in the U.S. by Congress in 1872, Yellowstone National Park was intended as “a public park or pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people.” The Secretary of the Interior, along with other governmental departments like the War Department and the Forest Service of the Department of Agriculture later worked to authorize additional national parks and monuments throughout much of the West. President Woodrow Wilson created the National Park Service in 1916, which was responsible for protecting and managing the national parks already created, as well as those yet to be established. Once

The preservation of wilderness that national parks offer is comforting to us; we know that our true home is out there somewhere remaining pure; therefore we may continue living our daily lives with the comfort.  However, as Cronon points out, our careful sectioning off of designated wilderness areas may lead to more environmental harm than good by possibly allowing a sense of irresponsibility to develop between people and the natural environment.  Cronon explains that if we see the environment as only small sections of our world meant to be visited as if they served the same purpose as museums, then we cut ourselves off from the natural world and no longer feel a true responsibility toward it, or possess a real knowledge of it.  Furthermore, in urban areas, people exist no longer as member of the natural world but as spectator of the nature. We live our daily life admiring the natural world and yet our ability to protect the nature and adopt a smart use of the natural resources becomes more and more weak as the time unfold.  That is by far what Cronon calls the manifestation of our lack of knowledge about nature and how to use it. He tries to emphasis this by saying that “Idealizing a distant wilderness often means not idealizing the environment in which we live […] we need an environmental ethic that will tell us as much about using nature as not using it.”

Parks are “crumbling, with pothole­pocked roads and outdated visitors centers” (Egan and Egan). In addition, due to a lack of funds, there is not enough money to “purchase private properties within parks...to prevent development by private buyers” (Bilmes and Loomis). Steadily, Americans will lose these treasured lands and their artifacts. What is now preserved for a glimpse into the past, will soon be “ravaged by wholesale oil and gas development” if no more funds are provided (Thompson). If Americans wish for their posterity to witness these natural doorways to the past, if Americans wish for the future to not forget the wonders of the past, then a boost in funding is imperative.

National parks protect and preserve nature’s natural beauty. The vast, open land provides a safe place that allows native plants and animals to thrive in their natural environment. National parks not only protect plants, animals, and the natural beauty, but they also protect a place that might be important to people. Someone's ancestors might have walked through these very redwood forests. Thankfully, the forests are now protected and they would get a chance to experience how it felt like to walk through the amazing, tall, beautiful Redwood trees. Thanks to the amount of vegetation in national parks, they also help us clean the air because of the large amounts of carbon dioxide the vegetation releases, and oxygen it soaks in. So, national parks also help the environment, not just protect it, that's pretty cool. I guess it's their way of saying thank you to us for protecting them for the rest of their lives. National parks aren't all about nature though, they're also great places to visit, relax, and have fun with your family and friends. All national parks provide an abundance of exciting activities you can enjoy with your family, not just Redwood National Park. The final reason why national parks are so important is, they allow people to get educated on the world around but, in a fun and entertaining

The Issue of National Park conservation has become a widely controversial issue today. With the National debt reaching 17 trillion dollars some politicians think it is alright to either sell off national park land to commercial foresters, miners, and even foreign nations or to just close some parks entirely to make up some of the national debt. They are completely unaware that the parks arent just a “pretty area of land for tourists”. Many cities depend on the parks for their well-being. A quote from a local newspaper in California supports this “National parks don’t boast concession stands or charge tax, but data indicates they bring in millions of dollars to local economies each year”(Tree). Supporters of cutting the parks include big CEO’s of major companies and some of them not even in this country.

Urban parks are defined in their comparative and contrastive relationships to the urban environments surrounding them. Although frequently conceptualized as natural landscapes, the physical and social uses of parks give